Discuss Chapter 8

[BillP]

This thread is for discussion of Chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

If you wish to discuss events from later in the book, please post in the appropriate thread below.

Spoiler Warning: If you have not read past Chapter 8, this thread may contain plot spoilers.

[quidditchpro]

Wow. So much happens in this chapter. So, Bagshot is apparently Rita's source. Clearly there is far more to this story than Bagshot knows, and undoubtedly, Rita will have mangled it all into something else completely regardless what Bagshot said. Looks like Harry will have quite a lot to talk to Aberforth about when they finally meet (officially anyway, since I believe that he's the Hog's Head bartender).

The Ministry has fallen, that's bad news. That didn't happen the last time Voldemort was in power. Didn't figure Scrimgeour was long for life anyway.

[deluminator]

I thought Polyjuice Potion would only last one hour? Why is Harry's dose lasting so long? Any ideas?

[HarryPotter115]

I never thought the ministry would fall.

[Psychee]

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deluminator wrote:
I thought Polyjuice Potion would only last one hour? Why is Harry's dose lasting so long? Any ideas?

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We don't have a good sense of time here... maybe it is still under an hour... but they don't seem to be minding their watches, do they?

[deluminator]

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Psychee wrote:

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deluminator wrote:
I thought Polyjuice Potion would only last one hour? Why is Harry's dose lasting so long? Any ideas?

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We don't have a good sense of time here... maybe it is still under an hour... but they don't seem to be minding their watches, do they?

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Thanks Psychee, for entertaining this question with me!

On page 138 (US version), Harry disguised as Cousin Barny is uncomfortable in his robes because they "felt hot and tight in the full glare of a summer's day." Then on pg 151, it is mentioned "evening drew in" and "Fred and George had long since disappeared into the darkness". Sounds like a lot longer than one hour has gone by!

[Psychee]

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deluminator wrote:

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Psychee wrote:

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deluminator wrote:
I thought Polyjuice Potion would only last one hour? Why is Harry's dose lasting so long? Any ideas?

---

We don't have a good sense of time here... maybe it is still under an hour... but they don't seem to be minding their watches, do they?

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Thanks Psychee, for entertaining this question with me!

On page 138 (US version), Harry disguised as Cousin Barny is uncomfortable in his robes because they "felt hot and tight in the full glare of a summer's day." Then on pg 151, it is mentioned "evening drew in" and "Fred and George had long since disappeared into the darkness". Sounds like a lot longer than one hour has gone by!

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Maybe at the wedding he kept taking it every hour and it just isn't mentioned in the text... they must have planned for him to be Barny for more than a hour...

[offthewall86]

It was unexpected that the Ministry should fall, but weren't they really doing more harm than good at this point? Especially with things the way they were between Harry and Scrimgeour...I love that Harry spouted off to him in their last encounter. We'll see how it all goes, I guess.

Still heartbroken over Hedwig, especially so early on. How much of whittling down his family will Harry be able to stand?

[areh500]

i totally love then end of this chapter it sent a shiver up my spine.

[joce14]

this chapter was so interesting especially when harry,ron,n hermione left.
i thought the ministry was always useless.

[Proper-T]

The Ministry fell way back when Fudge decided not to belive in Harry... this is more like Voldermort finally taking control...

RIP Scrimgour

[Tonks07]

Nice to see the wedding go on though. Plus they used the same minister as who presided over DD's funeral, almost an uncouncious expression of love righ there

[Nelle07]

I was thinking the same thing about the Polyjuice potion. However, I believe that it is supposed to be assumed by the reader that he is drinking it as he is sitting at the wedding. We all drink while we are at weddings even if it is water, he was probably drinking his Polyjuice potion. She probably knew she had to fit so much into this chapter that she didn't feel the need to add that in. Who knows? It was an extemely good chapter. And who would have thought that A.D. and the Potters lived in the same place? Back to reading...

[jms79]

It said Harry took a double potion so that is your answer to why he is still Barty the cousin.

[LiveUrLife]

I thought that the Ministry would fall because Voldemort has enough power to take over it. It was good that the wedding guests got a warning so that they had time to escape.

[stellaa37]

okay here is my theory I wonder the same as you did. Maybe with her letting us know that he was taking the Polyjuice Potion we are the expect that he had some with him to ensure that he does not change back to Harry. Now I know she didn't elborate on this but maybe she wanted us to think on are own instead of spelling things out! Is that not like J.K. Rowling? Hmmm...

[Nadine]

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Tonks07 wrote:
Nice to see the wedding go on though. Plus they used the same minister as who presided over DD's funeral, almost an uncouncious expression of love righ there


I agree the wedding is a nice interlude--kind of a calm normal place before the storm. But I sort of expected a smaller more intimate affair. It seems difficult to maintain any security at such a big party. Besides that, I would have expected it to have been hosted by the bride's family, which would have been safely in France somewhere. Isn't Voldemort's area of activity limited to Great Britain, except when he was hiding out?

Then it is all shattered. And we are left with the worst of situations.

[APenForYourTho…]

What about Xenophilius Lovegood? I saw that Chapter 20 is named for him, so I'm sure we'll learn more about it. Kind of bizarre, isn't it? Yes, the Lovegoods are unusual, so I wouldn't be surprised if he just picked it up without knowing what it was, but you never know.
I thought the wedding was very nice and also very important. Especially Harry's conversation with Doge and Auntie Muriel. I don't think I believe anything that was said about Dumbledore, or rather I don't want to believe it. I cried when he died, so it had better not be true!!! Actually, I would think JKR an absolutely brilliant genius if it is true. Making you love a character and then turning around and making you hate him, but you still guiltily love him because you can't quite accept it. But I can't really imagine Dumbledore doing something like that...
But maybe he did abandon his sister and knew it and felt guilty, and that's why he was so upset when she died.
I was kind of expecting the Ministry to fall. They didn't do much good, anyway, but it's still unnerving to think that it's under the control of absolute evil. People tend to place faith in institutions even when they can't do anything, just because they are established and seem sturdy.
This is going to be a very interesting story. (Completely obvious statement, I know).

[dayrenm]

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deluminator wrote:
I thought Polyjuice Potion would only last one hour? Why is Harry's dose lasting so long? Any ideas?

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I read he drank a large dose. I assume the larger the dose the longer the effect would last.

[dayrenm]

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LiveUrLife wrote:
I thought that the Ministry would fall because Voldemort has enough power to take over it. It was good that the wedding guests got a warning so that they had time to escape.

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Yes I was glad to see the wedding go thru, I kept thinking it wouldn't happen. I love that portable patronous thing pretty cool.